Lately, it has become a struggle for awards shows to survive in an era of declining television audiences, as media consumption takes new forms through short videos across social media platforms and large streaming services. In 2025, I wrote an article on how awards shows aren’t as messy as they used to be, but this year’s MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) have proven me wrong. Hosted by Snoop Dogg, the show aired live from Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 27.
The ceremony aired 20 minutes late because of a previous football game’s broadcast, then started with Madonna’s nine-minute performance celebrating 23 years since she last took the VMA stage in 2003. Alongside Sabrina Carpenter, she performed “Bring Your Love,” spun around the stage, and even got her Pilates workout in on live television. She then met up with Charli xcx in the club’s bathroom to perform “Danceteria Afterhours,” bringing special guests such as Debi Mazar, sombr, Seth Rogen, and Julia Garner, who was personally chosen by Madonna in 2022 to star in her biographical film. The performance was tender, messy, loud, and fun. It felt like a true throwback to the ’90s and early 2000s MTV VMAs.
Later, Madonna shared the stage with Charli xcx and Troye Sivan: the new iconic trio we didn’t know we needed, and I’m literally obsessed. She also called out Sabrina Carpenter’s team for not getting back to her about their collaboration, revealing that the track “Bring Your Love” started from an Instagram DM directly from Madonna. After 11 nominations, she went home with seven awards, including Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration (with Sabrina Carpenter), Best Album (Confessions II), Best Dance, Best Long Form Video, Best Choreography, and Best Cinematography (Confessions II – The Film). Mother.
Taylor Swift also had her moment becoming the very first to receive the Artist Director Honors, a new award recognizing artists for their work behind the camera. She took home Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia” from her album The Life of a Showgirl. This addition pushed her career total to 31 VMA wins, making her the most awarded artist in VMAs history. Swift shared a sweet moment backstage, hugging Dakota Johnson and celebrating her golden trophy.
In leather jackets and with a cigarette in hand, Pat Smear, Dave Grohl, and Krist Novoselic took over the stage to accept the Video Vanguard Award for impact on videos and pop culture. Novoselic described Kurt Cobain as “one of the greatest artists of all time.”
RAYE, sombr, Teddy Swims, and Adam Lambert came together for a George Michael tribute, 10 years after his passing, singing classic hits like “Careless Whisper” and “Father Figure.” According to The New York Times and the comments sections on TikTok and X, the less said about the performance, the better.
From one of the red carpet’s most memorable moments to one of this year’s most emotional performances, English songwriter Sienna Spiro showed up in custom Valentino carrying her own disposable camera, reversing the roles of the evening by photographing the paparazzi while being photographed. She later performed “Great Expectation,” serving vocals and a deep connection to the song that was truly beautiful to see. Spiro also won Best New Artist for the night.
Best Art Direction this year went to the internet’s favorite duo, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson, for their “Stateside” music video. This shows that contrasting personalities and different aesthetics can be put together well, bringing Y2K nostalgia and the colorful mess this year’s VMAs leaned toward.
Mess has been the word used to describe this year’s show. The majority of YouTube videos and short TikTok recaps are titled with the word mess: “The 2026 VMAs were a HOT MESS,” “THE VMAS WERE MESSY,” and “The 2026 VMAs Were an Absolute HOT MESS?!” Honestly, this was exactly what I was looking for. The 2026 VMAs were a party, and the stage was the dance floor. As I wrote last year, awards shows aren’t as messy as they were in the ’90s or early 2000s, which has had a huge impact on television audiences. In an era where streaming services and social media have taken the place of gathering together on a Friday night to watch live television, this hot mess is, in my opinion, what keeps television and pop culture alive.